Latest MCAT to have and EFFECT on my application?

[DocJuan]

So my question is, with a decent previous MCAT score and an application already submitted early, could taking the August 8th MCAT (and of course doing well on it) have a positive impact on my application this cycle? Or have schools already started sorting apps by then? Any insight is appreciated! My main concern is schools holding off on reviewing my application until the newest score is in, thus defeating the purpose of submitting my application on the first day.

When I say my previous MCAT was decent, I mean that I've spoken to a couple admissions deans who have told me that I don't need to retake. I have some stretch schools though that I'd like to give myself a better shot at.

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[candbgirl]

Did you list on your Primary that you are retaking?


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[Goro]

Retaking an already good MCAT is an act of hubris and will hurt you more than help.

So my question is, with a decent previous MCAT score and an application already submitted early, could taking the August 8th MCAT (and of course doing well on it) have a positive impact on my application this cycle? Or have schools already started sorting apps by then? Any insight is appreciated! My main concern is schools holding off on reviewing my application until the newest score is in, thus defeating the purpose of submitting my application on the first day.

When I say my previous MCAT was decent, I mean that I've spoken to a couple admissions deans who have told me that I don't need to retake. I have some stretch schools though that I'd like to give myself a better shot at.

 

[DocJuan]

Did you list on your Primary that you are retaking?


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Nope but I just checked and I can always update that section without delaying it from the AMCAS end.

Retaking an already good MCAT is an act of hubris and will hurt you more than help.

Thanks for the absolute statement. "Good" is subjective. Just because my MCAT is good for my state school + one other school that I applied to doesn't mean that I should be okay with not being a qualified applicant to the others I applied to. Also, in my circumstance, I have a low undergraduate GPA and a high SMP GPA. My low uGPA means I should have every other portion of my application rock solid.

 

[DocJuan]

Retaking an already good MCAT is an act of hubris and will hurt you more than help.

Also, both deans told me I could take the new MCAT if I want to and think I'll improve. One said if I did better it could qualify me for scholarships but otherwise I don't need to take it. Neither said anything about it hurting more than helping so not too worried from that end. But it will hurt if they put my app on hold when they see i'm taking another MCAT! Maybe this is a school specific thing I should look into.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Post your score and some schools so we can follow your logic.

 

[DocJuan]

In medical school admissions, factors/vectors of equal size but opposite direction do not impact with equal force. A +4 MCAT score has less positive impact than a -4 MCAT will have as a negative impact. Therefore, the downside risk is always greater.

If you have an MCAT score already and list a planned one, most schools will likely sort you in in take/review priority based on existing score. That means which pile of folders you wind up in Excellent, Average, Below Average. So an improved MCAT score likely wont have a tremendous upside impact for admissions


I would agree with @Goro on this. The possibility of getting a higher score for any financial scholarship versus getting a lower score and not getting in at all is the risk here

Hm. Thanks for the feedback. I promise I'm more motivated by strategy than hubris. I was thinking more along the lines of +2 points.

Post your score and some schools so we can follow your logic.

The schools are Tulane and Rutgers NJMS.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

You still haven't given is a score. And a +2 is not a good enough improvement to help you. Most adcoms would probably ding you for retaking a decent score and getting around the same score. In the MCAT you need to significantly improve on a retake

 

[DocJuan]

You still haven't given is a score. And a +2 is not a good enough improvement to help you. Most adcoms would probably ding you for retaking a decent score and getting around the same score. In the MCAT you need to significantly improve on a retake

My score is confidential. I took one of the last old MCATs offered, so really 2, 3, 4 points is all arbitrary because I'd be taking the new MCAT. I KNOW I can SIGNIFICANTLY improve on my MCAT score. I just took a biochemistry class for my masters program plus physiology and genetics. Verbal reasoning has always been my strongest section, and I have plenty of great resources for psych/soc. I appreciate the concern and understand the risk if I score in the same or a lower percentile but my question remains: CAN it have a positive effect if I take early August!!

 

[gyngyn]

By the time you get results in September there is very little likelihood of positive effect (even if you do better).
At the schools where you are already good enough, it may actually delay your evaluation. This would be a detriment, even if your score is better.
At the schools that stratify when the application is complete (without waiting for a pending score), it will have little if any effect.
The effect of a worse score is much more penetrant than another good one.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Even discounting the negatives of retaking a decent MCAT, it feels like an August test date is way too late for someone who has already submitted, but I don't really know.

 

[DocJuan]

By the time you get results in September there is very little likelihood of positive effect (even if you do better).
At the schools where you are already good enough, it may actually delay your evaluation. This would be a detriment, even if your score is better.
At the schools that stratify when the application is complete (without waiting for a pending score), it will have little if any effect.
The effect of a worse score is much more penetrant than another good one.

That's my number one concern. I've been told by a number of people that if they could do it again they would have taken measures to get their applications in earlier (prewriting secondaries, submitting primary on the first day). I definitely don't want to delay my application under any circumstance and there's more productive things I could do with my time this summer. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[iVent]

My score is confidential.

LOL OK. Nobody is going to be able to identify you based on your MCAT alone. If you truly want advice on here, you need give us all of the information so that we can best advise you.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

LOL OK. Nobody is going to be able to identify you based on your MCAT alone. If you truly want advice on here, you need give us all of the information so that we can best advise you.

Seriously... Unless you are the one dude with a 528 then no one will be able to tell who you are. Seeing as he is thinking of retaking I seriously doubt he has anything above a 520..

 

[Dr. Jan Itor]

If your current score is good enough for the schools you want to apply to, there's minimal benefit to retaking the MCAT so late in the year. If multiple admissions deans are telling you you don't need to retake, you probably don't need to retake. Spend that time working on secondaries instead of studying.

If you think that a new MCAT score will put you into a new tier of school, taking the MCAT so late puts you behind other applicants. If you really want to aim for top schools, you could take a gap year, spend a good chunk of time preparing for the MCAT, and beef up ECs. Then you'll be set to apply early next cycle. But given a lower uGPA, top schools could be a reach even with a high MCAT.

Of course, take this with a grain of salt since we don't know any info about your ECs, state, school list, etc.

And if you have a "good" score, I imagine you'd be competitive at more than 2 schools.


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[DocJuan]

If your current score is good enough for the schools you want to apply to, there's minimal benefit to retaking the MCAT so late in the year. If multiple admissions deans are telling you you don't need to retake, you probably don't need to retake. Spend that time working on secondaries instead of studying.

If you think that a new MCAT score will put you into a new tier of school, taking the MCAT so late puts you behind other applicants. If you really want to aim for top schools, you could take a gap year, spend a good chunk of time preparing for the MCAT, and beef up ECs. Then you'll be set to apply early next cycle. But given a lower uGPA, top schools could be a reach even with a high MCAT.

Of course, take this with a grain of salt since we don't know any info about your ECs, state, school list, etc.

And if you have a "good" score, I imagine you'd be competitive at more than 2 schools.


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Yea I've decided against it as that's the overwhelming consensus.

It wouldn't be worth it to wait another year as I don't think there's much I can add to my application. I'll be finishing my masters program, I've been scribing for 15 months and a large city hospital, have 4 years research experience, and 400+ hours volunteering in free clinics and a public Heath initiative to recruit uninsured people for colonoscopy screenings. I also have international volunteer experiencing, played a a sport in college (1 year for a division I school who was ranked top 10 at the time), and won several awards (for track). I'm in NJ and am applying to a wide range of schools.

 

[Weirdy]

Sometimes playing it safe....is better than shooting for a higher score. Even if you know for sure you can do better given the classes you've taken.

You've got very splendid ECs and a solid app.

Think objectively and minimize your risks.